"Dream Walkin'" is a song co-written and performed by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

artist

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (July 8, 1961 – February 5, 2024) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman. Keith released his chart-topping debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy", in 1993. During the 1990s ...

. It was released in January 1998 as the third single from his album of the

same name ''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...

. It peaked at number 5 in the United States, and number 3 in Canada. Keith wrote the song with

Chuck Cannon Marion Cletus Cannon Jr., known professionally as Chuck Cannon, is an American country music songwriter. His compositions include hit singles for Toby Keith and John Michael Montgomery. Cannon has also received awards for Broadcast Music Incorp ...

Content

The song is about a man who repeatedly dreams about a former lover who haunts his memory: "just like smoke through a keyhole/she slips in so silently/mmm, she's walkin' around in my dreams."

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of ''

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'' magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that it "boasts a strong melody boasted by tasty guitar licks." She goes on to call the lyrics "very visual" and say that Keith "delivers a winning performance with his full-throated country baritone exploring every lyrical nuance."''

'', February 21, 1998

Music video

The music video was directed by Michael Salomon, and premiered on CMT on January 30, 1998, when CMT named it a "Hot Shot". It features Keith in a dreamlike fantasy world where his lover appears and disappears.

Chart positions

"Dream Walkin'" debuted at number 75 on the

Hot Country Singles & Tracks Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

chart for the week of January 31, 1998.

Year-end charts

References

* {{authority control 1997 songs 1998 singles Toby Keith songs Songs written by Chuck Cannon Songs written by Toby Keith Song recordings produced by James Stroud Music videos directed by Michael Salomon Mercury Nashville singles